New Zealand, Australia welcome Trophy decision

BRISBANE, Australia (Reuters) - New Zealand and Australia cricket authorities have both welcomed the decision to postpone the Champions Trophy in Pakistan for security reasons.

Faced with the safety concerns of five countries, the International Cricket Council decided on Sunday to postpone the limited overs tournament from next month until October 2009.

The tournament will remain in Pakistan on the condition that the security situation in the country improves.

New Zealand Cricket chief executive Justin Vaughan said he was relieved that the ICC's decision removed from the burden of having to decide whether to withdraw from the tournament from New Zealand Cricket.

The New Zealand Cricket Players' Association had recommended its members did not travel to Pakistan and New Zealand would likely have joined South Africa, Australia, England and West Indies in bypassing the event.

Vaughan said the current security situation in Pakistan had made the ICC decision unavoidable.

"It's disappointing to have to postpone the tournament but in the end it was a rigorous process that was followed and in the end the security advice around Pakistan has just been too tough to overcome," he told Radio Sport in New Zealand.

The ICC's announcement meant New Zealand were spared making a public decision on whether to play in the tournament.

"We wanted to see the process run its course and in the end we didn't have to make a call," he said.

"The weight of opinion from around the world meant that it was an obvious choice.

"You couldn't hold a good world event in Pakistan at the moment. The right decision has been made and everyone's pretty comfortable with it."

Vaughan said he felt great sympathy for Pakistan, which had done everything in its power to ensure the security of visiting players.

"(The decision) was due to a circumstance in that country that was out of the control of the local cricket board," he said.

Cricket Australia spokesman Peter Young told a newspaper that the organisation was also relieved at the decision.

He also said CA had told the ICC privately a month ago that Australia would not go to Pakistan.

"It's a sensible decision in the circumstances," Young told The Australian.